(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to new and novel improvements in toilet constructions and specifically to a new and novel arrangement for eliminating offensive odors associated with the normal usage of toilet in the form of a ventilated toilet seat.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
The commercial field, to a slight degree, and the patent art, to a greater degree, are replete with arrangements, systems and devices intended to draw off or expel odorous gases from a toilet. The problem of eliminating such odorous gases, occasioned by normal usage of a toilet, has been recognized but not fully solved because the various and sundry attempted solutions have been too structurally and operationally complicated and involved, expensive and have detracted from the normal appearance of conventional toilets. For these reasons there are very few commercially available and hardly any successful ventilating installations.
The solutions proposed in the prior patent art are of the type involving the installation and usage of additional water flushing mechanisms, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,568,216, or venting assemblies that convey odors to atmospheric venting pipes, such as disclosed in Patents 3,416,167 and 3,703,010.
Such solutions necessitate the structural modification of existing toilets and are consequently expensive to install. And they are also expensive to use. In addition, the necessary modifications detract from the simple normal appearance of a toilet.
One of the least complicated approaches is disclosed in Patent 2,728,921 wherein the bowl is formed with a bore to receive a piping that is connected to a vent pipe leading through the roof of the building to the atmosphere.
However, the venting to the atmosphere is objectionable. And also, the lack of a force factor means that all odors will not be removed or removed fast enough before they can become objectionable. Furthermore, the toilet unit itself must be structurally modified.
And an objection common to each of such patented installations is that they are not adapted for commercial toilets of the type found, for example, in hospitals or nursing homes. The problem existent in such locations is the dual one of patient user of the toilet and nurse or orderly attendant whose function is to assist the patient in the use of the toilet facility. In such commercial installations there is a need for a quick and positive acting odor remover arrangement which can be easily installed without necessitating structural modification of the conventional toilet which does not have the flush tank usually found in household toilet assemblies. In such commercial type assembly there is only a simple bowl with a horse shoe type seat as opposed to the closed ring seat found in a household unit.